Improvement in machinery for cutting cards



tintmi tate EDWIN COWLES, OF CLEVELAND, OHlO.

Letters Potent No. 9,93l, dated June 8, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING CARDS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same the table-top broken away.

Figure 3, sheet 2, is an elevation of one side of fig. '2.

Figure 4, sheet 2, is a vertical cross-section through Ithe self-discharging stiliener, showing the shears and one side of the chute behind it.

Figure 5, sheet 2, is an elevation of the feeding and guiding devices.

Figure 6, sheet 2, is a section through fig. 5 in the vertical plane indicatedby lin'e gz.

Figure 7, sheet 2, is a sectional view, showing the expansible chute.A

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on machinery which is designed for cutting cards of dil-ferent sizes from the strips of cardboard.

The strips are fed up to shears, and cnt off in pieces of proper size, which pieces are received by a chute, and directed into propel' receptacles.

The chute is adjustable for gauging the widths of the cards, and it is also made so as to allow the scraps to fall through it out ofthe way.

The card-strips are guided up to the work of cutting, and are held stii' while being cut, so that all the cards of a given required size will be uniform in shape.-

The nature of my invention consists- First, in a ilanged-bottom inclined chute, which is provided with one adjustable side, so arranged as to serve as a gauge for the different widths of the cards required, and so constructed as to separate the cards from the scraps.

Secondly, in the employment, incombination with shears and a suitable feeding-device, of a self-adj usting stiffener, which will receive that portion ofthe strip whiclris to be cut oli', and hold it by one edge during the act of cutting, then open and allow the card to be discharged, as will be hereinafter explained.

Thirdly, in self-yielding, adjustable guides, incombi'uation with a stationary guide, a feeding-device, and shear-cutters, said yielding guides being adapted for holding one edge of the card-strip closely against the stationary guide, and thus properly directing this strip up to the shears.

Fourthly, in arranging a spring in such relation to the shears, on one side of a feeding-device, that the friction of the lnovable shear-blade against the edge of' the card-strip, while this blade rises; shall not carry up with it or bend the strip, as will be hereinafter explained.

Fifthly, in a rotating frictional feed, in combination with card-cntting machinery, as will be hereinafter explained.

lo enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings- A represents a table-top, and B B, the legs thereof, which constitute a frame for supporting the card-cntting mechanism.

C is a driving-shaft, arranged ina horizontal plane, and having its end bearings in the legs B B'of thetable.

This shaft C carries, on one end, an eccentric or crank-plate, G1, which communicates a vibratory motion to the shear-blade C3, by means of pitman O2.

Shaft C also carries a grooved pulley, C6, that communicates rotary motion to a horizontal shaft, c2, which is mounted on standards, d d, on top of the table, through the medium of a quartertwist belt, c,

and pulley c.

'lhe shear-blade G3 is pivoted to and operates in conjunction with a shear-blade, O, which' is secured to the edge of the table-top A, so that the cuttingedge of this blade is level, or nearly so, with the surface of the table-top, as shown in fig. 6.

Between the lixed shear-blade O4 and a horizontal cross-bar, G3, which is supported by extensions ofthe table-top, I` arrange a chute, and also a self-discharging stiifener.

One side plate, G, of the chute, is secured fast to the edge of the table-top, just beneath and ilush with the vertical surface of said blade, as shown in lig. 7.

The other side of the chute is secured fast to one end of a horizontal screw-shaft, G2, which passes through a hole made through bar G3, and is connected to this har by a feather' and slot, so that while -this shaft is allowed end-play, itis not allowed to turn.

This allows the plate G to he adjusted nearer to or from the lixed plate G, and by means of thenuts k k, on said shaft G, and plate Gl, can be fixed rigidly at any desired point of adj ustmcnt.

The lower edges of the plates G G incline to one side, and are ilanged at s s, to form guides and supports for the cards, but allow scraps to fall through or between the plates into a different receptacle from that into which thetlanges s s conduct the perfect cards as they are cut.

The stiiener consists of two plates, F F', a separating-spring, o, (in lig. 4,) and an adjusting-screw, p.

The plate F is rigidly secured to one extension of the table A, and the plate Fis hinged to plate I4", and acted upon by spring 0, for keeping the free end of the latter plate up in contact with the lower end of adjusting-screw.

The screw'p is used for regulating the size of the space between the two plates, which space shou'ld be in the plane of the topl surface of table A, so as to receive the side edge of the card-strip, and hold or stien the Vsame during the cutting strokes of the shear-blade C3.

On that edge of the movable plate F, next the stationary blade C4, a lip, n, is formed, which Vis struck by the blade C?, just before or imxnediatelyafter a card is cut from its strip, and thus the plate F is depressed to allow a free dischargeof the card in the chute.

When the blade C3 rises again, the plate F is released, and its spring o allowed to throw it up against the screw p, to receive the card-strip again.

By thus holding the card-strip between plates, as

above stated, the strip will b'e stiiened and kept dat la'ud smooth while a card is being cut from it.

The upper portion of the chute-plate G should rise a short distance above the horizontal plane of the table-top, for a reason hereinafter explained.

On the shaft 02,3. belt-wheel is fixed, and on opposite ends of this wheel, arms, E E, are loosely applied to this shaft c?, which arms are connected together by a cross-bar, and are provided, on their free ends, with a Small belt-wheel, 9, the axis of which is parallel. to the shaft c, as shown in iigs. 2, 5, and 6.

Around these two wheels D r, a belt, D', is stretched, which I prefer to make of India rubber, but it may be made of any other suitable substance, which will atford the required friction.

From onev side of the frame E, a stud extends, upon which presses a spring,m, fastened to'an adjustable rod on standard d, which spring presses the free end of the frame E down upon the surface of table-top A with suiicient force to allow the belt-D' to feed the strips of card-paper beneath it.'

Beneath .spring fm. is a xed guide, c, arranged so as to receive against it one edge of a card-strip while .feeding the same to the shears, and also so arranged as to direct a' portion of the edge so guided between the two' plates F 'F'.

Ou the opposite side of the frame E, to the fixed guide-plate e, are two perpendicular guides, ff, which are applied fast on the inner ends of horizontal rods, h h, that slide endwise in standards which rise from adjustable plates, g' g', that are connected together by bar g, as clearly shown in'gs. l, 2, and 5.

The springs t z', which are coiled around the rods h h, press the perpendicular guides f f toward the frame E. 1

The plates g' g are adjustable toward or from the frame E, and the pins jj, which are inserted through holes made through side plates y g', and into the table-top, are used to eiect' said adjustment.

Instead of the pinsjj, set-screws, working through slots made through plates g g', may be used.

Thelower ends of the guides f f are recessed intoY the table-top to-preveut the edge of a card-strip from working beneath theseV ends while it is being fed up to the work.

Operation. i

The machine is adjusted for` cards of diierent lengths, by adjusting the plates y y and their guides f f nearer to or further from the fixed guide e, aecordiiig to the width of t-he card-strips to be cut up; and the machine is adjusted for cards of different widths, by moving the chute-plate G toward or from the shear-blade 0*, for the width of the cards cut will 'be exactly equal tothe distance between the said parts a short distance beyond the cutting-edge of the shearblade C, and then holds the strip stationarytill the shear C'3 cuts ofi' and squares the end, the scrap falling between the ila-nges s s, of chute-plates G G, and thus escaping out of the way. 'lhe card-strip is then released t'rom the hand of the operator, and cut up into cards of the required width and of uniform width.

The feed-belt D moves the card-strip along, till its end strikes the raised portion of the chute-plate G, when, if this belt will slip until a card is cut off, and the shear-blade C3A rises out of the way.

The operation of the stitfening-device has been fully described.

The spring t, which is secured to the guide f, nearest the shear-blade C4, -is 4inclined so as to press upon and hold down the end or corner of the card-strip beneath it, and prevent it from being curled up by the movable blade C3 as this blade rises.

It is obviousV that an India-rubber feed-cylinder, or a cylinder' covered with rubber, or its equivalent frictional material, might be substituted for the feed belt D, although prefer to use' this belt.

Having described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. All v@pen-betteln' chute, composed of a iixed plate, G, and an adjustable plate, G, flanged on their lbottom edges, substantially as andfor the puiposesdescribed.

2. The arrangement of the adjustable chute G, so as to serve also as a gauge-plate for regulating the widths of cards to be cut, substantially .as described.

3. Stifening-plates F F', in combination with a cardcutter, operating substantially as described.

4. rllie lip or offset n, formed on the yielding plate F, in combination with the movable shear-blade C,

and arranged to be acted upon by this blade, substan tially as described.

5. The set-screw p, and spring o, applied to plates F F', substantially as and for the purposes described. 6. The fixed guide e and yielding pressure-guides ff, arranged and operating in combination with cardcutting mechanism, substantially as described.

7. Spring t, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

v8. The fric-tional feed-belt D', or its equivalent, in combination with card-cuttin g and guiding machinery, constructed and operated substautally as described. EDVIN GWLES. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN RIDGWAY, DAN'. H. RIDGWAY. 

